Shared smiles and secrets
by Sonya-Heather-DeVito
Summary: She gave him the slightest of smiles in return, one that filled him with hope and joy, and possibilities of their future together. Maybe, everything could be alright for them. Canon Divergence. Female Harrie/Voldemort (Tom Riddle) pairing, with a Hermione and Ron cameo at the end. End of war AU. 7th year onwards.


_A/N: A fluffy Tom/Harriet pairing, with a slightly different take on end of war AU. This takes place in the trio's 7th year. Professor Tom, Healer Harriet. _

_I do not own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!_

_Warnings: Hurt-comfort, lots of fluff (because we need a fluffy Tom every now and then!)_

* * *

The silence surrounding them was eerie, so much that he could hear the rustling of the leaves as they danced in the pale moonlight in wild abandonment. He could hear the howling of the wind and even the ticking of the clock that rested on Madame Pomfrey's desk.

The silence was so strange yet, so comfortable.

Instead, Tom focussed on nimble fingers that worked gently on his wounded arm as they cleaned the blood, ignoring the way his heart was beating slightly faster than it usually should.

Clearing his throat, he dared to look up at Harriet. She was doing a marvellous job at hiding her emotions, but the dullness in her eyes screamed how much she was hurting.

"I apologise for the way Severus behaved towards you, Miss Potter. It was very rude of him."

"You shouldn't apologise, Professor. It wasn't your fault." She still did not meet his eyes and instead, kept working on the task at hand. It wasn't a deep cut, he could have put an ointment himself, but he had the urge to see how she was fairing after today's lashing out in Potions.

Severus had said some not-so-nice things about her parents to Harriet, and for the first time, Tom had seen her without any mask of bravery and with tears in her eyes. It reminded him that she too was as vulnerable and lost as he once had been.

"Still, he had no right to say such callous words about your parents. I..." he stopped, and his breath hitched when he saw that she had finally given him her full attention. "I would talk to him and tell him to apologise for what he said."

"That is not necessary, Professor. It's fine. Besides, he would never apologise to me, and I can't blame him for it."

She moved away from him and towards the shelves, to put away the first-aid box, leaving Tom confused.

"Why?" His voice was soft, something that surprised him and her both, but Harriet didn't show it.

"Why what?"

"Why don't you blame him? He had been nothing but rude towards you." There were curiosity and eagerness.

From the way he spoke, it wasn't just Professor Snape he was asking about. Many were confused about the Dark Lord's decision to end the war, and many were equally confused when Dumbledore and Harriet both agreed to it. Professor Tom was one of them; it seemed that he had initially thought of his proposition getting rejected.

She turned around to face him when she was sure that he had worn his shirt again, not letting her eyes roam around his form, and convincing herself that the heat rising on her cheeks was because it was too hot in there. It was, definitely, not because of that white shirt that made him look even more handsome.

Harriet was trying to convince herself that seeing him come in the infirmary with a bloodied arm did not grip her heart with fear at all.

"He blames me for what my father did. For the way, he treated him in school, the way they bullied him at innumerable occasions, the way he constantly made fun of him in front of everyone. He still hates him, I know, and to some extent, I do understand his hatred. James took away the only good thing in his life."

She has always been difficult to read, and it often irked him. He wanted to know what was going on in her mind.

He wanted to know how she was so kind and understanding, towards others and even himself.

"He forgets that I have Lily in me too. He blames me for my mother's death."

"He shouldn't," he said in a heartbeat because Lily Potter's death wasn't Harriet's fault. It was Tom who killed her, his insanity and stubbornness to stay alive.

There was still regret written all over her face, but she didn't say anything.

"As I said, it doesn't matter. And that is okay, there are other people who don't like me," she jokingly said to lighten the situation.

"That's not true. Draco likes you, Nagini likes you, so do Bella and Cissa." There was a pause as he continued, "I like you."

Words slipped out of Tom's mouth, and his heart thundered dangerously as he waited for her reaction. He wanted to know what she felt about him. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he loved the way she was blushing. It boosted his confidence even more.

"I beg your pardon." Harriet couldn't believe what she was hearing but seemed that Professor Riddle was firm in his opinion. She could only witness as he smiled slightly to himself, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck in an awkward gesture.

"I like you," he repeated. She thought that she could just melt under his intense gaze. She searched his face to see if he was joking with her, but there was nothing except honesty in his eyes. She gave him the slightest of smiles in return that filled him with hope and joy, and possibilities of their future together. Maybe, everything could be alright for them.

"Harrie!" Their gaze broke when Hermione's voice interrupted them as she came in with a plate of steaming hot food in her hands.

"Harrie, I brought...Oh." Hermione halted in her steps and words when she saw Professor Slytherin standing there. Ron wasn't far behind.

"Hermione? Ron? What are you guys doing here?" Harriet got her friends' attention, gesturing silently towards the plate.

"Brought you some food, Harrie. You haven't eaten all day."

Harriet took the chance to look at Professor, and she could tell from his expressions that he wasn't happy.

"You should eat, Miss Potter," he said in a soft tone. "I'll be taking my leave now." His words said something, but his body spoke a different language. Harriet could feel that he didn't want to go just yet.

She silently nodded at him in assurance. With a heavy heart and sigh, he finally turned away and left.

"He still gives me creeps, mate. Why was he here, anyway?" Ron asked as he came to stand beside her.

"Nothing." There was a grin playing on Harriet's lips, her worries all forgotten now.

"He told you, didn't he?" Hermione looked at her in expectation, with wiggling eyebrows, and she wasn't disappointed. Her happiness and smile matched Harriet's completely.

"What? What did the snake face tell you? Harrie?" Ron shouted as the girls moved towards her office. He didn't get any answer.

* * *

The night was peaceful, something they'd all waited for so long. No war, no stress and no fear of losing his family.

The trio was sitting in front of the fireplace, in the common room, when an owl came and dropped a small note in Harriet's lap. She was initially confused because it wasn't Remus' owl, so who would be sending her letter?

"Who is it?" Ron and Hermione sat on either side of her as she unfolded the paper and started reading it.

_'Miss Potter,_

_Thank you for tending to my wounds today and treating me so kindly. I really appreciate it. _

_And, on my behalf, please inform Mr Weasley to come to my office tomorrow evening to start with his detentions. I do not like being called snake face._

_Professor Slytherin.'_

"Bloody hell." All blood drained from Ron's face as Harriet's and Hermione's laughter filled the silence of the room.

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-_A/N: Let me know what you guys think about this one! Reads, followers, favorites and reviews are always appreciated! Good day to all! :)_


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